Divided Eritreans to gather at Free Press
By: Staff Writer A bitter dispute within Winnipeg's Eritrean community is expected to be played out on the street today, with a protest and a counter-protest in front of the Free Press building. One faction said it
By: Staff Writer
A bitter dispute within Winnipeg’s Eritrean community is expected to be played out on the street today, with a protest and a counter-protest in front of the Free Press building.
One faction said it will gather on Mountain Avenue to protest what it says are biased articles published in the Free Press, including one that alleged a local organization is pressuring newcomers to give a portion of their salaries to support the current political regime of Eritrea.
The rival group said it will also meet at the Free Press at the same time, in support of the newspaper.
Lambros Kyriakakos, president of Eritrean Community in Winnipeg Inc., said the articles paint his organization and the greater Eritrean community as terrorists who are using funds in an illegal manner.
“What we hope to see is co-operation from the (Free Press) to rectify the defamation… to the Eritrean community,” Kyriakakos said, adding he hopes the negative portrayal in the contested articles can be balanced with an opportunity they were denied.
Kyriakakos said he’s expecting about 100 members of the local Eritrean community, including children, to be at the protest, set for 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for another group of Eritreans said they will be in front of the Free Press to show support for the paper and show not all Eritreans in Winnipeg support the actions of the government of Eritrea.
“We left Eritrea because we were persecuted,” Ghezae Hagos said. “We do not support the (Eritrean) government.”
Hagos said he won’t be able to draw a group of people as large as the crowd Kyriakakos will bring, but added they want Winnipeggers to know there is a bitter divide within the Eritrean community over the pro-Eritrea actions of Kyriakakos and the organization he leads.
Hagos said the government of Eritrea has been cited by the UN Security Council for its support, including arming and training, of a terrorist group active in the Horn of Africa.
Free Press editor Margo Goodhand said Kyriakakos and his supporters live in a democratic country where they are free to protest wherever they want, adding the newspaper will continue to investigate despite the controversy.
“We stand behind our reporters and our stories on this issue,” Goodhand said.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 15, 2011
Abrahaley ETiDine December 15, 2011
Is Lambros Kyriakakos is an eritrean name ? I know Ghezae Hagos is but not sure of the first one.
Abdi December 16, 2011
Name Doesn’t matter as long as he is serving the truth and for the good of the Eritreans,gezae tebahilu hageru tekhahade do yhaysh?
Well done deki Erey be there for Eritrea,and don’t let those lairs to defam our nation.
Abrahaley ETiDine December 16, 2011
Abdi,
Name matters. I know why you call yourself Abdi. Lambros Kyriakakos is propably the only Eritrean with that name. Have heard the syaing
“Sheem ymerh fal ykorh. Isn’y your name ABDI. that is why you are Isayas’s Slave. your name tells.
Amanuel ; birmingham December 15, 2011
We need to stop the 2% illgal tax or its indirect name contribution as the monitoring group catagorised it, Issais is using it for other purposes rather than using it for the Eritrean people. we need to stand with Ghezae Hagos, the brave Eritrean.
Ghezae should try to figure out the background of the other bond investers and land grappers.
Abrahaley ETiDine December 15, 2011
Indeed Ghezae Hagos, the brave Eritrean
Selamawi December 15, 2011
I wonder why these supporters of the PFDJ dictatorship demonstrate against those who call the spade a spade. It is bizarre to see our compatriots “including children!” gathering to shut the free press when the regime they support does not tolerate a simple gossip against it let alone to allow freedom of the press.
What is the reason behind this blind support? Are these people clouded by emotions in which case they cannot rationalize … Or are they tied up by their personal selfish interests? Or by the interest of what they perceive as theirs (misguided ‘wegennent’) where they close their eyes when the regime commits unspeakable atrocities.
The Isaias Afwerki dictatorial regime is accused of supporting terrorist groups…against the international laws and customs. Are these supporters telling us that their PFDJ is allowed to do what it is accused of doing or are they saying that the regime is clean…?
Speaking of defamation: it is the PFDJ and its supporters who defame decent individuals by twisting or mere fabrication of stories against their opponents. Remember the Duru’e case?!
Real nationalists should demonstrate against the regime’s reckless activities. And more importantly against the crimes it has been committing against Eritreans at home and abroad!
I salute you Gezae Hagos, proud Eritrean!
Abnet Tesfai December 15, 2011
GOOD INITIATIVE GHEZAE WE STAND BY YOU TILL THE DICTATOR AND HIS WORSHIPERS GET DISPOSED TO THE GARBAGE VAN.
gerimuna December 16, 2011
This is exactly why our people suffering is prolonged. Hodge bodge Eritreans to prove themselves they are more than others. How could the blind supporters of the heinous regime would dare to challenge what the Eritreans are opposing. Some times Fictions are more than truth. This is why a funny “Eritrean name” Lambrose Kyriakakas, WOW” is lecturing us when our people are dead against the regime. Please, Lambrose, leave us alone. when there is a night, a day is inevitable and you will be ashamed to defend bare clothed sins of the regime.
Abrahaley ETiDine December 16, 2011
Selamwi
It is hard anyone to challenge you . We are dealing with corrupted minded Eritreans in love with the regime not with the nation. Remember we are living @ a time “Eritrea malet Isayas”. This are people who accept this statment. It is an open cult that is ready to crash itself.
I think the regime is manupulating thier intelligence and ot is peroid. I fill sorry for them and are pitty Eritreans to think they will be rewarded for their participation in the demo. Most of them think it is safe to side with the government and is based being unsecured. To begin with most of them are those who never believed in Eritrean struggle.
ahmed saleh December 16, 2011
You said ” most of them are those never believed in our struugle”. And I say ” they
will never believe for the better of our people too”. Che Guevera said that under-
development either as individual or a nation is a dwarf with big head and swelled stomach its weak legs and short arms do not fit the rest of the body. Contrary it
produce few giants with enermous wealth and power. We need to take a strong
and a principled decision which reflect seriously on the thousands and thousands
of Eritreans lives we lost in the name of HAGERNA ERITREA not to individualism. They should stop fighting the wrong battle. Show patriotism not opportunism that
is against the culture of SEWRA or GEDLI ERITREa, period.
kib December 18, 2011
ABDI is Amharic word called Adgy ( Donkey) all the PFDJ are HAMACEN let me tell you Eritrean History wrote by Aba ISACK on the end of 18 century there was a big drought in Eritrea specially on the province of Hamacen then all this people they migrate to souther part of Ethiopia because of this Drought then those Migrant Eritreans did not come back to Eritrea but when Eritrea colonies by Italian some people came from Ethiopia mean Ethiopian with Alula Aba Nega and this people did not go back to they’re they remain in Eritrea in the province of Hamacen such as wedy Medhen berad and Abdi and all PFDJ followers (SEDATNAN KALBEN AB MAKEL YESEFRU) DEKE ZOBA MAKEL so brothers don’t worry about ABDI ( Adge)
Betre February 14, 2013
Kib:
please stop talking cheap things,We are all Eritrean nomatter which awraja we belong every Eritrean who has mind is against HGDF.Those people who support Isayas but not the nation are opportunists and i am 100% sure if something happen to isayas their the first to hate and blame him it is all about taking advantage.
Betre February 14, 2013
Kib,
Sorry I didn’t mean to blame you but let’s think positive and keep Eritrea united.
You know people like sofia and others they only know Eritrea by reading books and offcourse their father might be born in Eritrea but they want be more Eritreans than tegadelti,Warsay and the Eritrean people who is suffering inside the Country.They don’t like the nation but their protecting their jobs. We have to respect each other as Eritreans from the 9 awrajas don’t follow those ppl who want to separate us by Awraja and religion.
Thank you